British champion says he had come to "hate" his day job as a footballer and
the money did not compensate for his misery

Curtis Woodhouse describes quitting football for boxing – in 2006 – as if it were a calling. “I did it because I just loved to fight, I had to find out what it was to be a boxer.”

He was 26, and had also come “to hate” his day job. “Emotionally and mentally, I didn’t want to be there. I hated every moment of my life. Can money subsidise the way you’re feeling, make you happy? Not for me.

“I was earning a lot. I got paid every week and it was impossible to spend the money you were earning.

“You bought everything you needed… but I hated my job. I hated getting up in the morning to go to work.”

He first started “hating” football as a Premier League footballer with Birmingham City. And after several clubs, and after playing 400 league matches, Woodhouse hung up his boots. He picked up the gloves instead. His dream was to have a Lonsdale Belt put around his waist, by winning a British title.

“I knew in my heart that I loved boxing. I used to watch it with my dad. I used to watch the Mike Tyson fights, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank. I looked up to these guys as kind of super heroes.”

On a emotional night in Hull in February, as a 6/1 underdog against Darren Hamilton, the man ranked below Amir Khan as the No 2 light-welterweight in the country, Woodhouse won the British 140lbs title in a brilliant fight, by split decision

For the former Sheffield United and Birmingham City midfield favourite, it was vindication for his decision to cut himself free from football and throw himself into the extreme pressures of professional boxing.

“Back in 2006 - if I’m being perfectly honest - I never thought I’d get there, but it’s like what they say ‘Shoot for the moon and you might just get to the stars’, so the British title was me shooting for the moon.”

On Friday night, Woodhouse will face Willie Limond, who holds the Commonwealth crown, at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow.

Holding the British title, insists Woodhouse, feels “surreal”.

“My name’s in that category with some of the fighters I loved growing up, some great fighters that have won the British title. My name’s now one of them.

“What I’ve done they can never take away from me so it makes me feel really proud of what I’ve achieved. My story’s one of perseverance more than anything else, because I’ve had knockbacks but, because I had no amateur experience to start with, I knew I’d lose some along the way.

“The Hamilton fight is a night I will never forget. In boxing it has always been my dream to become a British champion and I achieved it on that night. I have watched it back probably 100 times, I watch it all the time because it means so much to me. Whenever anybody comes round to the house the first thing they want to do is look at the belt and watch the fight.

“When I was announced as champion I would say relief was the main feeling. It had been such a difficult, long journey and there have been moments along the way where I have thought it would never happen,” he said.

“Without sounding too arrogant I don’t think there will be another former Premier League footballer who becomes a British champion boxer ever again. I would be shocked if it happened in my lifetime. It is a fantastic achievement and something I am really proud of.”

In spite of achieving the dream he’d set himself, Woodhouse realised he could not rest contented. “I knew a few days after the fight that it would be nigh on impossible for me to walk away, just because of the simple factor that I had so many things go through my head.

“Then I was offered the Willie Limond fight and the opportunity to become British and Commonwealth champion was too much of a lure to walk away and not know if I could go any further.”

Limond makes the second defence of his Commonwealth crown and has designs on Woodhouse’s British belt. Limond (37-4) is a clever boxer, and Woodhouse (22-6) may have to find an extra level to overwhelm the Scotsman. It is without doubt, a tough assignment.

“A week after the fight [with Hamilton], I rang Dave Coldwell [his promoter] and said ‘I won’t be able to walk away’, he just started laughing down the phone and said he would try and get me a good fight," said Woodhouse. "He rang back a week later and said, do you fancy Willie Limond? The first thing I said was definitely, even with having to go to Scotland for it.

“I have watched the big Ricky Burns fights live on Sky Sports and have seen the atmosphere, so the chance to be a part of that, how can I walk away?”

Woodhouse has watched many of Limond’s fights. “I have always admired the way he goes about his business. He is one of those fighters who is good at everything; he is a very well-rounded boxer with loads of experience. He has been in with some top, top quality operators so it is going to be a tough fight, especially having to go to Scotland.

“The atmosphere is something is something I am excited about. I‘m going to embrace and I play quite a good pantomime villain so I will enjoy the stick I am going to get. They might hate me during the fight, but they are going to respect me afterwards.”

Also on the card, Ricky Burns makes his return after losing the WBO world lightweight title to Terence Crawford in March.

Burns (36-3), faces undefeated Dejan Zlaticanin, of Montenegro, who has 13 knockouts from 18 fights, for the vacant WBC international lightweight title.